How Far Can Countries Be Prepared free essay sample

Branislava Jusufovic How far can countries be prepared for a serious outbreak of disease? The future will bring contagious diseases such as meningitis, bronchitis as well as influenza and other infectious diseases; some of which are introduced intentionally. Recognizing that it would be impracticable to deal with the vast range of latent microbial threats individually, public health policy makers are devising strategies to appraise and respond to epidemics of all kinds. Such as public awareness through television, radio, newspaper, websites and even billboards.Those are mainly viewed as scare tactics from the viewers and usually ignored without thinking twice. Why? Well, there are a lot of factors which make viewers sceptic, such as man made diseases and the manipulation of the government. The year is 1976, the gay population had just started to breathe the fresh air of boundless freedom. The following ad began appearing in New York newspapers: ‘Last Chance for Gay Men to Join the Hepatitis B* Vaccine Program’ *A sexually transmitted disease. We will write a custom essay sample on How Far Can Countries Be Prepared or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Enrollment closes in June, after which the vaccine may not be available for several years.

Integrating the understanding of theory, practice, and values The WritePass Journal

Integrating the understanding of theory, practice, and values Introduction Integrating the understanding of theory, practice, and values ) Multiple and conflicted loyalties of social workers – social workers are often in the middle of conflicting interests Duality of roles as helpers and controllers – social workers function as both helpers and controllers Institutional framework mandating the actions of social workers – refers to the conflicts between the duty of social workers to protect the interests of service users with whom they work against the societal demands for efficiency and utility Limited or lack of resources As such, there is a need to renew the sense of ethical awareness among social work professionals in order to encourage them to reflect on these challenges and to come up with ethically informed decisions. Examining the Complexities of Social Work Practice Social work requires the social work professional be adequately able respond to complex situations that reflect both public issues and private pain. Social work essentially involves taking on a ‘mediating role between the individual and society’ (Oko 2011, p.4). Social workers are mandated by the state to intervene with individuals, groups or communities in order to effect change. Additionally, social work practitioners seek to balance individual self-interest with social responsibility, while at the same time working within the legislative and policy frameworks (Dominelli 2009). All these contribute to the complexities of social work practice. There are many instances wherein the social worker is torn between the desire to help the service user versus adhering to the rules and regulations set by the state. In other scenarios, the social worker may have the legal mandate to aid a service user; however, the lack of funding, support, tools or human resources limits what he/she can do. The harsh reality being that not all service users who need help are being provided for. Social work encompasses a vast array of sub-fields such as education, child care, women’s rights, poverty, etc. and involves many kinds of expertise for example advocacy, forensic social work, counselling, etc. Moreover, social work involves a myriad of job functions and performing a wide range of interventions, e.g. case management, administration, training, etc. (Dominelli 2009). This is another source of complexity for social work practice. The social work practitioner is faced with the challenge of whether to engage in a particular field of expertise or to take on a more generalist role. The social work profession has multiple accountabilities – to employers (e.g. state agencies, private institutions), service users, policymakers, professionals in related disciplines (e.g. medicine, psychiatry, psychology and law), and the public. Donnelli (2009) aptly summarizes some of the complexities of social work, which are greatly changing the social work practice and the roles of social workers. This only serves to complicate matters and places a greater burden on social work professionals. ‘Social work is a constantly changing profession whose role and purpose in society is often disputed and subjected to professional and governmental regulations. Its constantly fragmenting boundaries and changing nature enable social work activities to be appropriated by other professionals: for example, the completion of risk assessments in child abuse cases by child psychologists and the opening up of mental health work formerly undertaken by approved social workers to any professional without a social work degree†¦Social work is constantly being restructured by the state and emerging in different forms, while retaining its core tasks of caring for people and regulating behaviour’ (p.15).  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A study conducted by the Social Work Task Force (2009) reveals other complex issues that are being encountered by social work practitioners in England. The findings from the study show that social workers have several key issues, which they feel are complicating and negatively affecting their work. These are as follows: (Social Work Task Force 2009, p.6) Social workers feel that they do not have sufficient time to dedicate to the people they want to help. They feel strained by staff scarcity and limited by bureaucracy. Social workers feel very frustrated by some of the tools and support that are given to them to do their jobs. The support and tools are either lacking or inadequate. New social workers are usually unprepared for the demands of the job. Additionally, the education system does not effectively support ongoing development and specialisation for social work students. Social workers feel that their profession does not have a strong national voice and that they are not well-supported at the national level. Systems for managing the performance of social work practitioners are not driving and improving quality. Social workers feel that their profession is underrated, highly misunderstood, and under constant media attack. This makes it difficult for them to do their jobs and to attract people into the profession. Despite some efforts by the government, these issues continue to be a major concern for the social work arena. These issues are complex and require extensive effort not only from the state and social work practitioners; it also involves a paradigm shift and the re-framing of social work practice to change public and media perceptions. Critical Social Work and Advocacy Nzira Williams (2009, p.29) defines advocacy as ‘the representation of a need or an idea, either by a person or group on behalf of themselves, or by someone or an organisation on behalf of another person or group.’ Advocacy is usually associated with political action because it often involves asking for greater influence in decision making. However, advocacy also encompasses other actions, for instance, helping people to assimilate and participate in the community. Advocacy is also often used as a vehicle in helping to recognise injustices so that people can become more involved and respected. Moreover, advocacy helps to find remedies for the oppressed. As such, the role of social work practitioners usually involves an element of advocacy. One of the primary aims of social work ‘is to promote social justice in practice and policy’ (Dalrymple Burke 2006, p.17). As such, advocacy fits right into this framework and has occupied a large role in its approach. Indeed, social work has a long tradition of advocacy and social action, which leads to social reform (Hepworth et al 2010). Marrying the two together, social work advocacy, from the perspective of critical social work, can be defined as the ‘exclusive and mutual representation of a client(s) or cause in a forum, attempting to systematically influence decision making in an unfair and unresponsive system’ (Hepworth et al 2010, p.430). As such, social work advocacy involves persuading decision makers to take a particular course of action. From a critical perspective, social work advocacy is not merely representing the case in behalf of the client, but also to make sure that the client’s voice is heard. The goal of advocacy is not simply to represent the views of another but also to mobilise and enable the person to speak themselves (Wilks 2012 ). In social work advocacy, a case advocate is one who is working on behalf of a service user to ensure that they receive the benefits and services to which they are entitled to, while at the same time safeguarding their dignity (Hepworth et al 2010). The intent and outcome of advocacy should be: (a) to boost the individual’s sense of power; (b) help the person to be more confident; and (c) to encourage the individual to be more assertive and expand his/her choices (Wilks 2012). One of the main principles of anti-oppressive practice is the belief that social work has the capability to empower the individual and to change power relationships between individuals, communities, and society through the adoption of approaches that are sensitive to the impacts of difference. Advocacy’s links with empowerment may provide an approach to social work practice that is consistent with the aims of the anti-oppressive perspective (Wilks 2012). Social work’s core value and principle is the dignity and worth of the individual. This understandably leads social workers into advocacy efforts, as they work with oppressed sectors in order to reform power structures so that all are represented and have a share in the welfare of society (Pearson Higher Education 2012). There are various types of advocacy with their own strengths and limitations. Moreover, advocacy can be applied into various areas of social work. Appendix 1 shows a summary of the different types of advocacy and examples of how they are applied into social work practice. Summary and Conclusion Critical social work is founded on the theoretical underpinnings of Conflict Theory and Critical Theory Perspectives. Conflict Theory focuses on how power structures and inequalities affect people’s lives. This is based on the argument that society is structured along the lines of inequality (i.e. wealth, income, health) and as such, these provide people with qualitatively different lives. Critical Theories, on the other hand, hold that social problems arise due to various forms of oppression. This perspective also emphasises that people can change society through conscious and collective action. Based on these perspectives, critical social work approach emphasizes the transformation of relationships between social work practitioners and service users into one that is empowering, emancipating and mobilising. Anti-oppressive perspectives have become an important facet of critical social work. This perspective holds that the imbalance of power in social work relations only serves to support the emergence of oppressive practices. However, in actual social work practice, it is very difficult to liberate service users from oppression due to various reasons, such as the lack of funding, support and tools from the government, legislative limitations, etc. Ethical awareness refers to the challenge faced by social work professionals in terms of their ability and commitment to act in an ethical manner. The various challenges and dilemmas confronting social workers are sometimes making it difficult for them to come up with ethically informed decisions. Social work is a very complex profession. Social workers are required to respond to both individual cases and public issues. They are mandated by the state to intervene with people who need help; while at the same time, they must work within administrative and legislative parameters. Social work also has multiple accountabilities, which may be conflicting and overlapping. Moreover, social work is constantly being restructured and redefined by the state but its core responsibilities must remain the same. Lastly, the negative experiences of social workers in their practice (e.g. lack of state funding and support; feeling undervalued and poorly understood, etc.) are complicating the situation even more. Social work has a long tradition of advocacy. Critical social work advocacy involves influencing decision makers to take a specific course of action. Additionally, advocacy is not just to represent the service user’s case, but also to enable the person to speak for themselves. Taking all these together, it can be concluded that engaging in critical social work requires a strong foundation in theoretical perspectives combined with an in-depth understanding of actual practice scenarios. The complexities of the social work arena and the various issues faced by social work practitioners provide huge challenges. As such, knowledge must be combined with commitment to the work, as well as passion for social justice and empowerment. References Evans, T Hardy, M (2010).  Evidence and Knowledge for Practice. Cambridge: Polity Press. p1-15. Dalrymple, J Burke, B (2006).  Anti-Oppressive Practice: Social Care and the Law. 2nd ed. Berkshire: Open University Press. P7-53. Dominelli, L (2009).  Introducing Social Work. Cambridge: Polity Press. p1-25. Hepworth, D, Rooney, R, Rooney GD, Strom-Gottfired, K Larsen, J (2010).  Direct Social Work Practice: Theory and Skills. 8th ed. Belmont: Brooks/Cole, Cengage Learning. p353-411. IFSW. (2012).  Statement of Ethical Principles.  Available: http://ifsw.org/policies/statement-of-ethical-principles/. Last accessed 14th Dec 2012. Kane, T. (2010).  What is social work?  Available: slideshare.net/ict4devwg/dwg-sw-march-10. Last accessed 14th Dec 2012. Lishman, J (2007).  Learning in Social Work and Social Care: Knowledge and Theory. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers. p13-39. McLaughlin, K. (2005). From ridicule to institutionalization: anti-oppression, the state and social work.  Critical Social Policy. 25 (3), p283-305. NCSSS (National Catholic School of Social Services). (2008).  Overview of Theories of Human Behaviour and the Social Environment.  Available: http://ncsss.cua.edu/res/docs/field/theories.pdf. Last accessed 14th Dec 2012. Nzira, V Williams, P (2009).  Anti-Oppressive Practice in Health and Social Care. London: Sage Publications Ltd. p1-40. Oko, J (2011).  Understanding and Using Theory in Social Work. 2nd ed. Exeter: Learning Matters Ltd. p1-38. Pearson Higher Education. (2012).  Defining Policy Practice in Social Work.  Available: pearsonhighered.com/showcase/swcccs/assets/Cummins_0205032648_Ch01.pdf. Last accessed 14th Dec 2012. Social Work Task Force. (2009).  Facing up to the task: The interim report of the Social Work Task Force.  Available: swap.ac.uk/docs/taskforceinterim_rpt.pdf. Last accessed 14th Dec 2012. Strier, R. (2006). Anti-Oppressive Research in Social Work: A Preliminary Definition.  British Journal of Social Work. 10 (10), p1-15. Wilks, Tom (2012).  Advocacy and Social Work Practice. New York: Open University Press. p1-18. Appendix 1. Advocacy Type of Advocacy Example Strengths Limitations Paid advocacy Solicitor Expertise, especially on legal rights; powerful representation Costly; often an unnecessarily ‘heavy’ response Advocacy as part of a professional role Social worker; nurse Influence within services; time allocated as part of job; experience and knowledge of needs Usually working with more than one person, so attention limited that can be given to individuals; bound by conditions of employment; possible conflict of interest, e.g. if a person needs help to complain about colleagues or employers Advocacy by an organisation on behalf of a group Mencap; Royal National Institute for the Deaf; Age Concern Expertise; power deriving from membership; influence on national policy Usually concerned with general rather than individual issues Formal problem-oriented advocacy Ombudsman; Citizens’ Advice Bureau; local councillor; MP; patient advice (PALS) Formal or legal basis; independence; authority by virtue of role Often oriented towards complaints of specific problems Informal single issues unpaid advocacy Crisis or instrumental, outcome-oriented Citizen Advocacy Flexible; informal; expression of citizenship and social capital; minimises conflict of interest since unpaid and voluntary Concerned with single issues rather than long-term needs Informal long-term unpaid advocacy Relationship-based Citizen Advocacy partnerships; advocacy by family and friends Same as informal single issue unpaid advocacy; plus: long-term; relationship-based; protective as well as empowering Great trust required that the relationship will pursue the person’s best interests Self-advocacy by individuals on their own behalf Creative arts; taking part in own reviews; expressing wishes; involvement in person-centred planning Empowering; ensures relevance; participatory; enhances self-esteem Lacks power; depends on adequate support Self-advocacy by a group on behalf of its members People First; National Pensioners Convention; British Council of Disabled People Gives a voice to the otherwise unheard; expression of basic rights; supportive to members Likely to be concerned with general rather than individual issues; depends on financial and advisory support for success. Advocacy by individuals on behalf of a group Elected representatives; Partnership Board; Advisory panels Contribution of relevant views; expression of democratic participation and rights Individuals may not be representative; views expresses may not be those of the group as a whole Source: Nzira Williams 2009, p.30)

The Globalization of the NFL case report Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Globalization of the NFL report - Case Study Example The present research has identified that one of the aspects of the current environment that is undeniable is fact that globalization has fundamentally impacted way in which individuals integrate with a good, product, or service. Many professional sporting activities, within the United States, understood the impact of globalization can have with regards to improving overall profitability. For instance, Major League Baseball is now broadcast in a handful of foreign markets and over 20% of all current players are foreign-born. This of course not only helps to improve ratings and profitability within a multicultural United States, it also helps to engender a further degree of interest with regards to nondomestic sports within the nation of origin that these sporting figures hail from. Although Major League Baseball has been chosen as a case in point, the same can of course be said with regards to the National Hockey League, the National Basketball Association, and a litany of others. As such, these domestic sporting associations have come to the realization that in order to ensure a level of continued and further profitability, it is necessary to continue to integrate with new viewers and stakeholders within the sporting process. In much the same way, the same levels of benefit can be enjoyed by the NFL is merely a set of determinants and key strategies are effectively engaged and met. Accordingly, the following analysis will seek to explain and elaborate briefly upon what some of the strategies might be. Firstly, it is necessary to recruit internationally for the National Football League. Even a cursory review of the NFL shows a situation in which nearly all draft recruits come directly from United States colleges. Although this has proven to be an effective strategy, the fact of the matter is that it does not engage any further participation with regards to the outside world. As such, a strategy for growth and the implementation of international recruiting for th e NFL could drastically increase the level of stakeholder participation of different individuals from far-flung reaches of the world might have with the sport itself. A further beneficial aspect is with regards to international market presence. One does not need to look far to realize that the National Hockey League, Major League Baseball, and indeed the NBA have international marketing presence within a host of nations around the globe. This marketing presence is not only helpful with regards to selling merchandise, it is also helpful with regards to generating overall interest in viewing and becoming an active stakeholder in the sport itself. Moreover, the proliferation of a market presence around the globe would directly increase the level of interest the different athletic programs would have been offering the sport to their youth stakeholders. Going hand in glove with this international market outreach, it is necessary to understand that a significant amount of money will be re quired with regards to advertising and promoting the National Football League within these diverse regions. As such, the actual mechanics of the process will involve, like any new business venture, the appropriation of necessary funding to penetrate these markets and engage the respective stakeholders at hand. Such a process will naturally not generate increased revenues directly; rather, it will integrate with the respective stakeholders within these international environments in the hopes of generating interest and further revenues in the very near future (Alcacer & Furey 5). However, even though such a plan might be somewhat expensive to engage when one considers return on investment in the very near future, the long-term benefits of engaging with the rest of the world and seeking to globalize the National Football League have far-reaching impacts with regards to the survival and profitability of the entity itself. Where is the National Football League has generated a great deal of interest and a vocal fan base within the United States, none of this would’ve been possible had it not been for the fact that

Effects of No Income Tax Policy on Dubai's Economy Essay

Effects of No Income Tax Policy on Dubai's Economy - Essay Example "Dubai has changed dramatically over the last three decades, becoming a major business center with a more dynamic and diversified economy. Dubai enjoys a strategic location and serves as the biggest re-exporting center in the Middle East. The city now has thriving manufacturing, finance, information technology, big choice of Dubai property and tourism sectors and is home to numerous multinational companies such as AT&T, General Motors, Heinz, IBM, Shell, and Sony."1 In Dubai there are no personal taxes other than import duties (mostly at rates up to 10%), a 5% residential tax assessed on rental value, and a 5% tax on hotel services and entertainment.1 Being an oil-rich country, the government is not dependent on direct taxation as a source of its revenue and thus, there is no income tax. This attracts not only petty businessmen but multinationals too to invest in trading opportunities in the country. It has been noted that while tourism has grown exponentially in the last ten yeas, p eople are also looking forward to investing in property in Dubai. Since investing anywhere else in the world would attract taxes from the government: both direct and indirect, both during purchase and sale of land; foreign nationals, especially western Europeans are attracted to Dubai as an investment center. The government has made huge investments in hotels, leisure and recreational facilities to attract a large number of tourists, who might later be interested in buying property. This would attract people not only for business but also for buying property and migrating to Dubai. For an economy that was primarily dependent on its oil reserves, this would be a boon. With more and more investment in both people and land by foreign companies and high net worth individuals, the economy is all set to grow. Manufacturing industries have been set up in sectors like beverages, chemicals, paper, pharmaceuticals and rubber. As the diversity of the population grows, so would the needs and a necessity to increase economic activity. Thus, the no income tax policy followed by the Dubai government has benefited the economy immensely. Can other gulf states emulate this policy Is it feasible Yes or No Other gulf states can emulate this policy to a certain extent. While most countries like Oman and Saudi Arabia are already following a No Income tax policy, there are certain restrictions on investment in property by foreign nationals. Not all governments might be as open to change as the government in Dubai. There could be a small fear lurking in the minds of the authorities of being overpowered or misused by vested interests. Investment in land by a foreign national is allowed only in partnership with a local company or individual in some gulf countries. This might have been followed to safeguard the interests of the local population. "Free capital movements raise concerns about the loss of national sovereignty and other possible adverse consequences. Foreign direct investment ("FDI") even more so than other types of capital flows has historically given rise to such concerns, since it may involve a controlling stake by multinational corporations over which domestic authorities, it is feared, have little power."2 "Islamic law goes into great detail about family, inheritance, foundations, property rights and obligations, and public law operates along with rules of usage

Operations Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 1

Operations Management - Essay Example Even Government depÐ °rtments cÐ °n drÐ °w heÐ °vily upon operÐ °tionÐ °l initiÐ °tives Ð °nd strÐ °tegies when they tÐ °lk Ð °bout supply chÐ °in mÐ °nÐ °gement, leÐ °n supply, just in time Ð °nd totÐ °l quÐ °lity mÐ °nÐ °gement. This pÐ °per Ð °ims to offer the reÐ °der Ð °n insight into the importÐ °nce of operÐ °tions mÐ °nÐ °gement Ð °nd gives Ð ° firm plÐ °tform for the study of operÐ °tions strÐ °tegy. The contribution of Ð °n operÐ °tions strÐ °tegy is Ð °lso outlined Ð °s pÐ °rt of Ð ° hierÐ °rchy of strÐ °tegies thÐ °t we might find in eÐ °ch firm. It gives Ð °n insight into whÐ °t is exÐ °ctly Ð °n operÐ °tions strÐ °tegy Ð °nd whÐ °t Ð °re its components, how eÐ °sy is it to implement such Ð ° strÐ °tegy Ð °nd whÐ °t cÐ °n Ð °n orgÐ °nisÐ °tion expect from it. BÐ °sicÐ °lly, the pÐ °per discusses the question of diversity of tÐ °sks thÐ °t operÐ °tions mÐ °nÐ °gement incorporÐ °tes Ð °nd thÐ °t these tÐ °sks should be combined to reÐ °ch the potentiÐ °l of operÐ °tions executed. OperÐ °tions mÐ °nÐ °gement hÐ °s its origins in the study of ‘production’ or ‘mÐ °nufÐ °cturing mÐ °nÐ °gement’. (Pine, Boynton, 2003) These terms still very much Ð °pply to mÐ °nufÐ °cturing orgÐ °nisÐ °tions thÐ °t will hÐ °ve distinct operÐ °tionÐ °l Ð °ctivities thÐ °t convert sÐ °y, beÐ °ns Ð °nd rich tomÐ °to sÐ °uce into cÐ °ns of bÐ °ked beÐ °ns to be sold by Ð ° retÐ °iler. Thus, we cÐ °n initiÐ °lly think of operÐ °tions mÐ °nÐ °gement Ð °s being pÐ °rt of Ð ° distinct function producing Ð ° product Ð °nd service combinÐ °tion, just Ð °s we hÐ °ve mÐ °rketing Ð °nd Ð °ccounting functions in mÐ °ny orgÐ °nisÐ °tions. The first definition of operÐ °tions mÐ °nÐ °gement is therefore: Every orgÐ °nisÐ °tion thÐ °t offers goods or services hÐ °s Ð °n operÐ °tions Ð °ctivity. Ð s fÐ °r Ð °s the orgÐ °nisÐ °tion structure is concerned, some firms will hÐ °ve Ð ° discrete operÐ °tions function. This might be cÐ °lled Ð ° mÐ °nufÐ °cturing depÐ °rtment, Ð °n operÐ °tions system, or hÐ °ve no identifiÐ °ble nÐ °me Ð °t Ð °ll. However,

The Introduction To Argos And Amazon Information Technology Essay

The Introduction To Argos And Amazon Information Technology Essay This report has been prepared regarding the operations of Argos and argos.com and it will look at their operational processes and also with discussed in details the theory of capacity planning, inventory management, supply chain management, performance measurements and total quality management and will look at the chosen organizations with relation to above mention theories. Operational management is the process of effectively managing resources and converting them into final goods and services to offer to the customers, the process of operational include all the management of all the resources which are used in the manufacturing of goods and services to used them effectively for the better result and achievement of goals for the organization. In this assignment the operational management processes of two organizations Argos and Amazon.com will be look into with details and they efficiency regarding the operations will be discuss to see how they manage their operations to provide better goods and services to the customers. Argos is one of the U.K leading retailer and it provide customers different goods, the company was establish in 1973 and now it is part of Home Retail Group, which is UKs leading home and general merchandise retailer. Argos, has nationwide network of over 670 stores coupled with its many ways to shop via catalogue, online and in store allows customers to mix and match from the full range of selection, order, pickup and delivery. The Argos retail experience is also made more convenient with home delivery, the innovative check and reserve and text and take home services, and the in-store Quick Pay kiosks, enabling consumers to make the best use of their free time. According to an HPI tracking study running from January to March 2006, 96% of customers would recommend Argos to a friend. Moreover some research agencies has issued interesting figures about retail sector businesses like Argos, Tesco and Asda. According to new Nielsen Online figures, Argos held its number two ranking above Tesco and below Amazon, with a 32% year-on-year growth in the number of UK visitors to 8.2m (homeretailgroup.com) Argos has supply chain management system which is very effective it provide the services through its catalogue system which allows the user to check the item without visiting the store and finding the best product their looking for and booking it online and collecting it either from the store or by home delivery. Argos also has a very effective distribution channels which enable them to have outlets on different locations so the customers can visit the stores and select the items from either looking at the catalogue or at their online system and making the payment on the system and just collect the items they want to purchase which reduces the time which usually customers have to face in order to buy the item because of this effective management of the Argos supply chain and distribution channels the users can get their items less than the time which they will take in other stores which is one of the reason of Argos success. Amazon.com:- Amazon was first establish as a book selling website in 1995 but diversify itself to selling other items such as DVDs, appliances, video games and other electronic goods it also provide the users and option to download some of its item instead of waiting to received it on mail. Amazon.com work on the basis of e-commerce providing its customers different facilities to use for their shopping and its simply a website for online shopping and provides latest items to different customers according to their needs. The features provide by amazon.com are: Reviews By Customers:- Amazon.com provide the customers to review any item they have bought from the website and rank it on the scale from 1 to 5 stars and also discuss what they think about the product this feature enables the other buyers understand the product help them make their decision regarding the product. The view are check by amazon.com to avoid any false information provided by the users and amazon.com like to post both good and bad reviews about the item for the convenient of their customers and to make them understand about each aspect of the product. Content Search:- This is one of the most useful tool provide by amazon.com for its users, the content search tool allow the customers to search for a specific word or content in a book. This feature has been design for customers who wants to buy books regarding specific information this tool enable them to find out what books have the information required by them and show them a photo of the page from the book and sometime give a free preview of the book to its customers to help them decide whether it is the book or information they were looking for it not. Third Party Sellers:- Amazon.com also helps in selling product from third parties on their website by listing them at amazon.com and directs the customers to other sellers product according to their desired information needed. Amazon.con use a centralized payment system for all its users whether sellers or buyers and control and monitor it. Just like Argos the company Amazon.com also has a very effective supply chain management system which enables them to deliver the products desired by the customers on time, with their content search feature the customers get the chance to select their products. They also have an effective distribution system usually the customers who order from amazon.com get their delivery within 2 to 4 days which make the whole process of shopping very enjoyable for the customers. By using the principle of operational management both the companies Argos and Amazon.com have been proving the customer best service and which is one of the reason of the success of both companies that their users prefer to shop from them and also recommend them to their friends and family, the principle use by Argos and Amazon.com are the basic principle of operational management and if used correctly can result in success for any organization in the long run. Part B Capacity Planning:- Capacity planning is the process of determining the amount of work that an organization can do in any given time it is basically determines the capacity of the organization to meet the demands in the market which is always changing due to change in customer taste or in technology. Capacity planning is the crucial part of any organization operational management which determine the capacity of the firm to meet the demands of customers in the market as it will provide the organization the competitive advantage and better utilization of the resources of the organization. Capacity planning is part of the strategic planning of the organization and it provides them a guide to utilize the resources with full capacity and managing the organization resources effectively and making the organization a success. Inventory Management:- Inventory management system was already used in America and Japan it is the most important part of any organizations operation as organization need to maintain a sufficient level of inventory not only helps in the production processes but also it helps in meeting the demands of the market as the manufacturer needs to have sufficient level of stock to supply to the market. Maintaining sufficient level of stock whether raw material or finished products to supply to the market involve many costs such as maintaining cost, ordering costs and carrying cost handling these costs is also a part of a better inventory management system as it is the responsibility of the operations management to handle this processes they need to be sufficient enough to manage the processes of inventory handling efficiently. There are many inventory management systems available to help the management in this processes some of the famous systems are Economic Order Quantity and Just In Time inventory management which enables the managers to use the inventory effectively in the operations. A example of inventory management systems can be seen in the Sainsburys operations where they focus on the maintaining the inventory in the stores through computerized systems and whenever a item short on inventory the system automatically place the order for the new one and which arrive before the item ran out of stock thats been a major part of Sainsburys success. Supply Chain Management:- Supply chain management consist of managing the supplies of the organization efficiently to maintain the level of organization products and services, it not only consist of managing the suppliers but also consist of monitoring and controlling the activities associate with the production of the products and their effective management the process consist of many activities which are: Procurement. Customer service management. Physical distribution. Product development. With these activities an organization creates chain of values and add values in them for the customers and in the product as well which is why these are one of the important activities in the operational management process. An example can be seen in the case of Toyota where the company understands the importance of these activities and provide the customers with products with added value through not only their manufacturing processes but also through their distribution and customer relationship process also this is one of the reason that the company Toyota has grown over the years and its customers preferred to buy its car because they believe that they get value for money. Performance Measurement:- Performance measurement is the process which enables the organization to set the measurements to determine where they are in terms of goals and their achievement it gives the organization an overview of their current position and where they want to be in the future. It is a great way to control and measure the activities of any given department by measuring the actual performances to the target it gives them an idea about their performances and what improvements they need to make. Many organizations used this model in their employee appraisal as well to reward the employees who have achieved the tasks to motivate them also to identify the employees who are behind the tasks to ask them the reasons behind it and if there any help they need in order to achieve the tasks. The application of performance measurement is used at every level of the organization as it is a used for tool for the organization it helps them where they, How they will improve and such questions are answer through performance measurements therefore it is a useful tool. The example of companies using performances management can be seen in Sainsburys where the company not only measures the performances of its employees but also the performance of its store by sending mystery shoppers to the store and checking the budget performances of the stores and also doing performance appraisal for the employees as well. Total Quality Management:- Total quality management is a programme use by many firms to gain competitive advantages by providing the customers with best quality products and increasing their satisfaction, it is a philosophy of management which emphasis on continuous improvement in the quality of the product. The process of total quality management involves involve everyone working in an organization as it is believe that every one working is the organization is responsible for the continuous improvement of the product and services and it should not be consider the activity of only one department. In application of quality management can be seen in the case of sports direct where every employee working in the organization strives to provide best quality services to their customers not in terms of products but also in customers services which result in many customers preferring sports direct over the other sports shop, once a customer enter into the outlet of sports direct they get the feeling of somewhere really sports related from shelving to staff working there the sports fan get this feeling when they are shopping at sports direct because of their total quality control management and which result in many customers buying their sports related stuff from the company because they trust the name and the quality of sports direct which is because sports direct never disappointed them when they come to shop over there. Part C In this part of the assignment the application discuss above will be relate to the organizations or Argos and Amazon.com to see how these applications helps these companies to achieved their goals and objective and what competitive advantages the company are having due to each module and how they develop the companies strategies over the years. Argos:- The first organization that will be look in detail regarding the above mention theories will be Argos as it is the believe of many that these theories are working fine with Argos and they will be look one by one with operations of Argos. Capacity Planning at Argos:- As it has already been discuss how proper capacity planning helps an organization in its operations and proper planning of resources to achieve the goals set by the management. Being one of the biggest retailer of U.K Argos understand the importance of capacity planning and plan all its operations based on the proper planning of its resources as many customers can get the information about the product they want to buy from Argos website that where they will be available and if not available at one store where else they can find the item and how much quantities left to collect which enables the customers to know about the product and how much time they will have to wait to get their hand on the product. Due to this properly planning of capacity Argos has been having competitive advantage over its competitors and it also helps them in their marketing strategy by distributing their catalogue to the customers for free and providing the idea of items they can collect from the outlets of Argos. Inventory Management:- Inventory management has been one of the strong points of Argos operations as Argos has to hold many items in their inventory to meet the demands of customers they been keen on providing the products by different manufacturers to the customers. One of the unique features which is provided by Argos is that it provide the customers information about the products and their availability by providing them information is the item available for home delivery or if the item out of stock in one store which other store they can collect the item and it also provide them the option to reserved the item on their website if the item left has not much quantity so by reserving the item on the website the customers make sure that the item will not be sell by the time they reach they store and they can collect is because of this method of maintaining inventory the operational capacity of Argos can be seen and understand properly. Supply Chain Management:- Argos has many outlets all over U.K and supply the items to all the stores is not an easy job and Argos realized that but they overcome this problem but having a good chain of distribution channels and also by providing information about the product and its availability and also make sure that the customers will get their desired product on time and without having to wait much for the product, the distribution channel consist of both the supplies for stores and also for home deliveries as well to manage effective system of deliveries. Performance Measurements. The use performance evaluation techniques have been an integral part of any organization and Argos is no difference in fact using performance measurement has been a part of Argos success and it gave them an idea how the company is performing not only with the products but also with the customer satisfaction which make them realised the areas they need to make improvements and the areas where they are working fine can improve even more to provide better services to the customers. Total Quality Management:- Just like other features the total management concept has been also used by Argos under this principle the Argos staff has been trained to make them understand the role they play in the success of Argos and what they can do to improve the services at Argos even more. Argos not only emphasis on improving the quality of the services offer by the staff but also make sure that the products offers by Argos are of great quality and value to the customers as they know that making the customers happy is the most thing to do if a business wants to survive. Amazon.com:- Same like Argos the company Amazon.com also employed the principles discusses in part b of this assignment and will be look one by one. Capacity Planning:- Millions of customers visit amazon.com daily and do their shopping form the website due to which it is very important for the website amazon.com to provide their customers the best items they has to offer and keeping this thing in mind the company use their resources very well in term of proper capacity planning this can be seen by looking at the growing number of people who log in to amazon.com to buy the stuff they need with confidence and amazon.com has been delivering stuff from books to health equipment to all sort of customers and making them happy which is the reason they achieved the competitive advantage. Inventory Management:- Amazon.com has storage facilities all over the world and due to which the company is able to deliver anything anywhere in the world and due to having storage facilities all over the world the delivery cost is less for some countries. They have an effective system of managing the inventories which are far more than any other company as the website provide many options to the customers and their customers are in millions they know how important it is for them to utilized their inventory management to provide the customer the products they need on time and with less delays. Supply Chain Management:- Being provider of many products and having millions of customers supply chain management its one of the biggest issue for amazon.com and the company knows its importance that is why they manage their supplies very carefully to make sure that the products ordered by the customers reach them on time and without any delays due to which the company gain popularity. Amazon.com has also introduced the service for their customers where they can also sell their items on amazon.com website to other customers for some fee chargeable by amazon.com for providing these services but the company make sure that whatever the item is presented for sale by other customers of amazon.com should meet the quality standards of amazon.com and provide their other customers the products which give them value for money because when a customer visits amazon.com they visit with the expectation that they will get good deals from amazon.com than any other supplies of the goods and it provide amazon.com not only the competitive advantage over the competitors but also it helps them market their name all over the world due to the services they offer to their customers. Performance Measurement:- For the purpose performance management amazon.com always ask its customers for feedbacks about the services provided by amazon.com and also it provide them a review system in each item where the buyers of that item post their reviews about the experience they had with the product and does it meet with their requirement so the other customers can see and decide whether they should buy the product or not amazon.com not only publish the good reviews but also the bad reviews of the website and products and try to improve the areas where they have been criticized by the customers to provide them best quality services. Total Quality Management:- The quality of the product and services offer by amazon.com is the main focus point of their business and they take it very seriously through conducting surveys and reviewing the reviews post by the customers to understand their weakness and overcome them. As it been said before the company provide other users to sell their products on their website as well but they make sure that the product presented for sale meets the quality requirement of amazon.com and all the sellers are present with stars based on the feedback they get on their sales by doing this amazon.com make sure that the buyers get the best quality products from the sellers and also to make sure that the quality standards are maintain by amazon.com at all time, they also make sure that the staff at their customer service communicate with the customers positively and help them out in their queries to give a positive image of the company to the customers and by doing this the company has been able to increase its market share over the years. Sources:- Â  Operation Management By Frank Rowbotham, Masoud Azhashemi, Les Galloway Operation Management By C. Donald, J Waters, Donald Waters. Service Management Improving Service by Robert Johnston and Graham Clark Operations management policy, practice and performance improvement by Steve Brown, Kate Blackmon, Paul Cousins www.argos.co.uk www.amazon.com www.thetimes100.co.uk

National Debt Growth :: Argumentative Economy Economics Papers

National Debt Growth I believe that the growth of the national debt creates a problem that is great to be of little concern. I believe that todays social programs are in big trouble, and just are not going to work in the future. For example, it seems to me the social security is a dream program especially for the baby boomers who can not expect a small population of younger people to pay the bills. I also believe that that a lot of government services waste money in obvious and obsurd ways. For example, the F-117 stealth fighters that cost five hundred million dollars and don't live up to the performance capabilities that were oringinally proposed. The government should reduce spending and do what everyone else does on a slim budget and spend only what is neccesary to survive and grow. I also think that we can no longer roll over debt since the national debt is growing faster than the economy. As a country I think that we need to look at the possible and impossible commitments that we can make, and take a look at where we are going to get the money. The Treasury is all ready considering borrowing money from social programs like the G-Fund and the Civil Service Retirement and Disablility Fund so the federal government won't default on its loan obligations. Although I don't think that it is good to cut from social programs, I do think that we need to decide if we want a national debt that can't be sustained and is bad for investment or a social security system that might not be around anyway. I also think that social programs in the government needs to be simplified, and operate in a more efficient manner. It seems to me that collecting taxes, and handing out expenditures to many different programs, a lot of which I probably don't know what they are. It takes a lot of clerical work to run these programs though, and the money seems to get filtered

How is Crooks presented in Of Mice and Men? Essay

Towards the beginning of the passage Steinbeck describes Crooks’ belongings to be basic and simple. He owns ‘a tattered dictionary and a mauled copy of the California civil code’. This means that Steinbeck presents Crooks to be intelligent of a black man at this time as very few could read and the fact that he owns books is showing his ability to read. Also because he owns ‘the California civil code’ it is showing that he knows his rights and although he might not be racially the same as everyone else he still has rights and makes sure he knows them, portraying him to be aware and alert. As Crooks has no new clean items as they are all described as ‘tattered’, ‘mauled’ or ‘dirty’ it could show that Steinbeck wants to show Crooks to be a man with little luxury and someone who has no experience or a standard of living as he tends to keep his items even when they are falling apart. Within this passage Crooks’ room is described as ‘swept and fairly neat’, this is showing that although Crooks lives on his own he still wants to keep his room tidy even though he is living alone and no one ever visits him, so he has no need to keep his room clean. This could mean that Steinbeck wants to portray Crooks to be more than a simple stable hand as he is showing him to have quite a high level of intelligence for someone in his situation and also someone who cares about how his surrounding look as he likes to keep his room clean. Within the novel and this passage Crooks is portrayed to be in pain and suffering due to his injures, he is ‘bent over to the left by his crooked spine’ and he has ‘pain-tightened lips’, showing the suffering he has to endure due to his back. This could be showing Crooks to be weak as he is in constant discomfort, showing that he would be unable to defend himself if he was put in the situation where he would need to. As Crooks is in constant pain but he still does his job to the best of his ability it could be showing him to be resilient and a willingness to keep on going in order to make money and to be able to sustain himself. He may have acquired these traits as he is a black man living in 1930s America and this means that you would have to been tough and strong willed in order to survive. Steinbeck introduces Crooks as ‘a lean negro head, lined with pain, the eyes patient’. This is immediately implying the acceptance of racism as the word ‘negro’ is showing him to be of a different colour. This could suggest that he is excluded and isolated from the rest of the characters as he is the only person described like this. The phrase ‘the eyes patient’ confirms that he is used to waiting on orders from other people and this is further showing his loneliness within the novel. Steinbeck later goes on to show his isolation further, as he explains how he sleeps in ‘a little shed that leaned off the wall of the barn’, separated from the rest of the ranch workers. This is implying that Steinbeck might have wanted him to be shown as isolated to portray the racism and segregation at that time. This is a clear way of showing Crooks to be segregated due to his race as he is literally separated from the rest of the ranch workers as he has to live in a different place, with no one to socialize with, portraying the sense of the way black people were treated in society at this time. A character within the novel that Crooks doesn’t agree with is Curley’s wife as she clearly showing him how she has a higher authoritative class and that she can control him. In chapter four when Crooks starts to open up and social with Lennie and Candy, Curley’s wife then brings Crooks back down to the level she thinks he should be because of his colour. As on the ranch Curley’s wife has no power over any of the workers as they are considered to have a higher social class, Crooks is then the only person that Curley’s wife feels she can control in this way as he is black. When Curley’s wife tells Crooks that she could get him ‘strung up on a tree’ Crooks immediately turns introverted and scared to defend himself again in case of her following up her threat, showing that he has no power over anything and that she has a higher social ranking than him.

Case Study: Air Quality Systems Inc.

Quality Systems Inc. Was founded in 1984 and is based out of Richmond, Virginia. Their mission is to increase the customers quality of life by creating, manufacturing, and marketing innovative energy-recovery products. They manufacture ventilation, air-cleaning, and heating equipment for residential and light commercial applications. Sales have been Increasing consistently and were expected to reach $12 million for the year.The 4 key areas ASS specialize in are design, assembly, steel fabrication, and the manufacturing of aluminum heat recovery ventilators. The Hers accounted for 2/3 of the projected $12 million sales. 60% of parts were procured from suppliers and the other 40% were produced In house. Patrick Wallace Is the plant manager and is in charge of quality control. He watches over 2 technicians who are supposed to do quality checks and testing. Issues: 1 .The problem is the foam insulation for a batch of Hers manufactured at the plant is peeling, leading Pat to believe the e quipment would malfunction. 2. Suffolk, a local manufacturer, whom ASS has never had a quality problem with, supplied ASS with he malfunctioning product. 3. Some customers may have already received defective products and all production has to be ceased In order to make sure quality Is on point. What cause the Issues: 1 . A lapse In Judgment on the 2 technicians who are supposed to do the quality checks and tests.The defect should have been noticed on the 1st HER that came through. And definitely should have been noticed before any orders went out. 2. Possibly the growth of business and sales. This could lead Suffolk as well as Ass's quality control team to maybe be overwhelmed. Missing where they had made the mistake. Recommendations: e wise to give Patrick a team of 5 technicians instead of only 2. This would give him the ability to assign each technician a specific job. For ex.Having 1 technician inspect at the beginning of the job, another at the end, one specifically to focus on the HER adhesive, etc. To solve your issue with Suffolk you could approach them with the malfunction you've 1 OFF contract with them. As far as dealing with the orders that have gone out that may malfunction, you would have to do a recall for any product that's been sold. Dating back to when the order from Suffolk that you noticed the malfunction from, came in.

Workplace Internet Abuse essays

Workplace Internet Abuse essays The technological explosion of the past few decades have taken society to heights never before dreamed possible. Today, Internet savvy users have the ability to manage stock portfolios, purchase travel, chat with friends and shop world wide all from the comfort of their computer. The Internet has become an entire society with social, professional and recreational aspects to its use. In recent years the topic of use has moved to the forefront as people become more expert in Internet navigation and have begun to rely on it more than ever before(Young, 2005). As with any positive element of life there is also a down side. Internet abuse at work is on the rise. Years ago people were disciplined at work if they had too many personal phone calls, however, today, an employee can get on the Internet and surf it without alerting everyone in the office. This costs the company time and money in lost employee production. To further complicate matters, many businesses need to have Internet access to perform their company duties, therefore the employees have to be trusted to use it for work purposes and wait to get home to play(Young, 2005). While there are constantly evolving spy programs with which supervisors can check the sites that an employee visited the company must also remain respectful of the employees privacy unless given reason to believe that employee is defying company policy regarding Internet use. The time has come to develop ethical responses to the workplace abuse of the Internet that will protect the integrity and productivity of the company while at the same time showing respect to those who work there. Recent research has reported that the average office employee spends an hour a day on the Internet for personal use. This can include stock trading, vacation booking, shopping or emailing friends. The latest estimates regarding the cost to companies caused by personal Internet use by employees is more than $35 million eac...

Reflection on the Use of Technology in Education in the UAE Essay

Reflection on the Use of Technology in Education in the UAE - Essay Example This essay stresses that every year, the country has reported a significant increase in the number of students enrolling for different courses in the institutions of learning. Eventually, the number of instructors has decreased below the recommended student: teacher ratio. At the same time, many institutions of learning have made education a form of making profits by admitting as many students as possible. The higher the number of students in institutions of learning, the lower is the capability of the lecturers to deliver to all the students. The result has been the use of different technologies in education. This paper makes a conclusion that the success of the use of technology in teaching and learning heavily depends on the perceptions and attitudes of both the educators and the students. The perception has been primarily positive following the digital technology campaign and the need for technology literacy in schools. Institutions that do not implement technology learning in the UAE are seen as outdated and ones that do not instill the required skills to their students. In the earlier years, the use of technology in education in the UAE was a debatable topic that attracted varying opinions. Many people in the country discussed the advantages and disadvantages of using technology in education. However, as many institutions started adopting the use of technology, its benefits now seem to outweigh its shortcomings. Education has taken a new dimension and meaning with the use of technology.

Lesson Plan Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Lesson Plan - Assignment Example Since the lesson comprises of new information, guided practice in identification of organisms and their habitat. The prerequisites for this experience are that the students will only require basic reading and observation skills. The diverse nature of the learners and their abilities do not necessarily limit their use of a variety of senses. Employing this fact will enhance learning in this situation. The assessment tool will be informal questioning and demonstration of knowledge and understanding. The students will be needed to indicate the kinds of habitat a presented organism is likely to be found. This makes use of cultural and ability diversity and helps improve class participation and performance. The lesson pre-requisites requires that only observational and basic reading skills will be needed. Since some of the learners with low-level reading skills and those with learning disabilities may not understand the information. The teacher will use simple instructions, to verbally communicate with these specialized groups and pointers to indicate the diagrams on the PowerPoint slides or mages. The lesson plan has incorporated group work as the primary strategy to ensure that all the learners are actively involved in the learning activities (Schultz, 2009). The groupings have taken into considerations the various forms of cultural, religious and gender diversities among the learners. Being less demanding in terms of entry requirements and pre-requisite allows all the students, with their diverse needs and abilities to take part. The lesson plan therefore identifies three active participation strategies which are group work, demonstrations and return demonstrations and question-answer sessions. This allows the learners not just to listen to the teacher but also to take part in the learning activity as well (Schultz, 2009). The lesson